Catch assembly



Feb. 17, 1959 R. A. STONE ET AL 2,873,989

CATCH ASSEMBLY yFile@ Aug.. 1,2, 1954 United States CATCH: ASSEMBLY y RoyV A. Stone and Leonard. K. Ploughmang- Rockford,

Ill., nssignors to National. Lock Company, Rockford, Ill.,fa corporation of Delaware y Application-August 12, 1954, serial No. 449,382v v 1 claim. (cust-io) member), the latter being' preferably mounted' on' the' cabinet.

One of the objects of the'p'resent invention is' to: proLA vide a novel catch assembly including a catch formed of a yieldable plastic' composition having' afhollo'w'l bore or longitudinal opening for receiving and friction'ally grippingand retaining the projecting end' of a strike, and aV housing for said catch with the housing providedv with means for detachably yet securely mounting' andf reta-iningthe assembly in a' supporting wall or' member.'

Another` object of; the present invention is to provide' a n'ov'el catch" assembly includingay housing and: a` catch- ComposedV of a non-metallic, yieldable'and resilient `Corni position, the latter having substantial freedom of move'- ment in the housing whereby the openingor bore oftheA catch may be readily and easily aligned' with the rigid:

projecting end of they strike as it engages the enlarged open en'do'f thecat'chprior" to entry into'its bore or"open= ing.' In view of this novel assembly inA which tli'e'V catch isfree to shift in its housing, the projecting end of the' strike will automatically enter the open, receiving' end of the catch upon closingl ofl the cabinet door'or closure, for even thouglr the'- opening in the catch may' not bein' accuratealignment withfthe projecting end of the strike orflatch meinbenthec'atch'will be moved laterally in its` housing'by'theeiiteringend' of the strike int'o' a position wherein'the'openin'g-'or boreof the catch will be" aligned' with"i the" eterin'gfend3 o'ftheL strike.

The pieser'itl invention furtherc'ompreheiidsy the' provision of` aL n'ov'el` catch' assembly in which theY housing'v fr-"thief cat'ehl member may bei quickly andf easily assehii" bien inv opening' in@ asupport walll or surface o'fa liclitii mtalI door ndf When forced into" ifs intended-` location or operative position-A is-automatically anchored iu this wall. When so located, the housing is vheld by means of spring" tori'g'uesor' projections" that engage the rear surface o'flthe' supporting-wahl a'ndlzyl an external anchoring ilange that abuts the front-ofthe supporting wall or surface andY providesA astopxjtoV accurately locate orposition' the Housing in ythe open-ingofthe supporting Wall. Y l

lir-tliisnovelv embodiment, provision is made'for` rernoval or re'placerrlentofr the catch assembly by providing openings in th'esuppbrting wall and aligned openings inthe Vexternal anchoring ange, with'vv each set of*v aligned openingsebeing disposed in alignment witl1"a springs'tng'ue on the housing, whereby the insertion of a pointed, narrow tool through each set of aligned openings permits depressing of the aligned spring tongue and upon the pewter grasping" meeneem aciiorin'g usageine; auf ingf'tlie assembly awayy troinithe'- openirg in the supporting'wallV withdrawal of v intended, f y

g plastic'y itV is` intended toi include' polyethylene, neoprene or other cor-np'oundfe'diy synthetic rubber, plastic or rubberlile materialsuitable for theV p 'ose of receiving andj frictinally' gripping and' retaining the projecting' end of.` a rigid strike, keeper or la'tcl Iii'efnber. SuchA material' is" capable or eitcd'd usel arid of being flexed or expanded as the rigid pr lng endl of the" strike; ent ls tli openingofftlie catch-member, whereupon it'lyild-mg'ly grips this Gridy rdtais; if:luxld-"thV ci-01'y inicios-ed posi'-Y tioiibuty perr'riitsf `the" door tb" be; readily" tipeiied when e'c'ts aevto provide" aconst etio'nfof mairiy', eiiieieicy,y my and easfeot'r uswnibly and operation, and suoli fu objet's, ad 'dinges' and capabilitiesY as willY later-"indre fully appear" and are inherl e'ntly possessed thereby'.v

Figure 1 is a cross sectional View through the pr'eseiit novel c'at'cli as'sie'riibly",` the' View' being takena plane representedby the line 1-1' ofPig'; 2M and view'edintlie direction? of the arrows;

Fig. 2- is a View in front elevationv assembly. l

'l Fig; 3 is a cross settionalyiewftaken on tliedirie 3223 ofvFig'. 2 andview inftlied Verctij 'f the arrows;

of 'the never aan ofca'tcli assembly.

Fig. 5 is a' cross seti'ona'lr view" faken in a plane rep'-Y r'e'sent'ed'f by the' line 51455 f Figi 4 and' viwffiiitli directionof the-arrows;y

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken in a planef rp' resented b'yftle line 6-6 of Fig# 4 ard'vi'ewed the direction' of the* arrows! A Referring more particularly tov theAv diselsure in" the drawingand toftlie illustrative erbodimentYY and' detailed'4 constructions'- ther'e'in shown, Figs- 1` 2-- and 3'r di lose' o'n'e' embodiment-of the novell catchas rnblyw rill cludes'- afhousing 10 and a-c'at'ch nierb'ei" 11icomposed'of a' plastic composition, s''ch as`v| polyethylene", 1'1'copreifev` or other suitable' iie'xfibl' or' yieldabl and resilienty plastid or compounded syntheticV rubber or' rlbb'erllile material" capable of' use' in thepr'e'sen'bv 'assembly over ati extendedv period of timeiand with' a rn'ininiurri-oi wear. Tl'iisicat'ch member sad'apted'to' receivethet'e-the projecting end" door' ori closure of af kitchen cabinet, wall catiinetf P'tented Feb. 17, 1959 -with reference to the catch lmember 11.

inthe disc or washer bent or seamed over the inturned ledge or ange 24 of the housing at 26.

In the housing is loosely mounted the catch member 11 of resilient or exible plastic composition. In the disclosed embodiment of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the catch member comprises a substantially rectangular block composedof a plastic, resilient composition that is centrally cored to provide a longitudinally extending and outwardly orrearwardly tapered bore or opening 27 therethrough, the opening being ared substantially at its forward or inner end at 28 to facilitate entry and to guide or direct the projecting end 12 of the strike or keeper 13 into the opening 27.

The catch member 11 is somewhat smaller than the opening or space provided therefor in the housing 10, whereby the catch member is permitted lateral movement in all directions from its centered position to compensate for misalignment between opening in the catch member 11 and the strike or keeper 13. Such lateral freedom of movement permits the catch member in the housing to shift as the projecting end 12 of4 the strike or latch member 13 enters the opening 25 in the disc or washer 23* and contacts the ared end 28 of the catchV member 11 to move the latter into the position where the end 12 of the strike or latch member is centered in the bore or opening 27.

The catch member may be provided with an annular or continuous recess 29 at the rear thereof to add to its flexibility or yieldability as the projecting end 12 of thev strike or latch member 13 Amoves to the limit of its `entry into the bore or opening 27. When so inserted, the encompassing material of the catch member 11 is expanded or distorted and tightly grips and retains the strike or latch member 13 to maintain the door closed, but permits ready release of this strike or latch member when the door is intended to be opened. When the strike or latch member is released, the composition of the catch member I being resilient or tlexible, will return to its original conformation.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 disclose an alternate embodiment of catch assembly in which the housing 31 does not enclose or encompass the catch member 32 in the manner shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, and this catch member 32 varies somewhat from that previously described. The housing has relatively short side walls 33 and 34 each having an inturned edge or flange 3S for receiving and retaining an edge of the catch member 32 in the housing. The opposite side walls are similar to the side walls 17 and 18 andv similar reference characters have been applied -thereto and to the annular metal disc or washer and its manner of mounting on the housing, all of which are similar to the embodiment shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3.

The catch member 32 differs from the catch member 11 in that it comprises a rectangular sheet or relatively thin section of a plastic composition as described above This plastic section being of substantially less thickness than the catch member 11, its bore or opening 36 is not intended to receive and encompass or contain the length of the projecting end 12 of the strike or latch member 13. The inner or frontend of the bore or opening is dared at 37 for receiving and directing the projecting end 12 of the strike or latch member 13 into the bore and an outer or rearwardly projecting annular lip 38 is provided through which the entering or projecting end 12 of the strike or latch member 13 extends when the door is closed.

As in the embodiment of Figs. l, 2 and 3, the catch member 32 is loosely positioned within its housing 31 and is permit-ted to move freely either laterally or longitudinally whereby it will be capable of aligning with and receiving the strike or latch member 13 even though the latter may not be accurately centered with the opening 25 inv the disc or washer 23a. When the projecting end 12 of `the strike or latch member 13 enters the opening 2S, it will engage the enlarged or flared end 37 of the catch member 32 and move or shift the latter to the position in which the end 12 of the strike is free to enter the bore or opening 36 and pass therethrough `to the position it occupies when the door is closed. When the door is in closed position, the strike is held rmly by the encompassing catch member 32, but the strike may vbe released and the door opened when desired.

To release and remove or replace the housing 10 with its catch member 11 and the housing 31 with its catch member 32, each disc or washer 23a is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed openings 39 each in alignment with an opening 41 in the wallor 'supporting surface 14,

and in further alignment with the outwardly projecting,

free end of a spring tongue 23. By inserting a narrow screwdriver or other -tool or object capable of projecting through the aligned openings 39 and 41 and depressing the free end Vof a spring tongue 23, the latter may be depressed sufficiently to withdraw the disc or washer 23'1 and the housing 10 or 31 attached thereto. As the plasytic catch 11, as well as the plastic catch 32, is carried in its housing, it will be removed with the housing.

Although reference is made to mounting either disclosed form of housing and catch member in a wall of a hollow door and the strike or latch member on the cabinet, it will be apparent that these parts may lbe reversed, if desirable.

Having thus disclosed the invention, we claim:

A catch assembly for the hollow metal door of a cabinet for receiving and retaining the projecting end of al latch member and retaining the door closed but permitting it to vbe opened when desired, said catch assembly including a housing mounted in an `opening in a supporting Wall of said door and providing an enclosure including spaced and oppositely disposed sidewalls, an inturned flange at the outer end of said side walls, a disc aixed to said inturned ange with said disc-abutting `the outer face of said supporting wall when the housing is mounted in said opening, and inturned flanges at the inner end of said housing, said housing and disc having an opening aligned with the opening in the supporting wall with said openings being of a size to loosely receive and through which the projecting end of the latch member extends when the door is closed, a catch member of a flexible and resilient plastic composition confined but loosely positioned within said housing to permit said catch member to bodily shift laterally in all directions, said catch member provided with a flared and rearwardly tapered bore therethrough for receiving said projecting end and the portion of said catch member dening said bore expanded by and frictionally gripping and retaining the projecting end of the latch member when the door is closed, said catch member being free to shift in its housing upon engagement of .the projecting end of the latch member with the llared end of the bore and be moved by said projecting end to bring the bore of the catch member into alignment with said projecting end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 262,557 Barnard Aug. l5, 1882 2,289,873 Gland-Mantle July 14, 1942 2,451,798 Borchers Oct. 19, 1948 2,559,145 Borchers July 3, 1951 2,767,005 Jorgensen Oct. 16, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 143,542 Australia Sept. 24, 1951 707,819v Great Britain Apr. 2l, 1954 

